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My absolute favorite thing: an Apple Crumb Pie recipe! This is a delicious apple pie with crumb topping. The tart apples with the thick crunchy and sweet crumb topping are the perfect combination! This pie is the reason I started my blog! I’ve been making this pie for over 25 years and everyone loves it.
Why This Recipe Works
With the from scratch crust, apples that are the perfect texture, and buttery sweet crumble topping, this pie is sure to be a hit. I have been making this pie for over 25 years and every single person who tastes it loves it.
I first posted this pie in the early days of this blog. I’m not going to link it because, really, no one needs to see those horrible photos. Then I updated it back in 2012. I reshot it and reposted but I still didn’t know how to take pictures of food properly.
The first time I made this pie, I was in college. My mom was hosting Thanksgiving and I wanted to make my OWN pie recipe. I scoured her Better Homes & Gardens red-checked cookbook and found a crumb apple pie recipe that I then altered to make the perfect dutch apple pie.
Over the years I’ve fine tuned the crust, the apple pie filling and the crumble topping to get the BEST ever dutch apple pie recipe!
Important Ingredients
- Pie Crust: Use my pie crust recipe or buy one from the grocery store
- Apples: I prefer using Granny Smith Apples since they are tart and go perfectly with the sweet crumble. They also stand up to par-boiling and won’t fall apart.
- Butter: Use unsalted butter for best results – but you can swap salted butter if needed. Just lower the added salt.
- Granulated Sugar and Flour: These round out the crumble, and we also use sugar with the apples to sweeten them along with cinnamon.
Preparing Apples for Pie
This is where my recipe differs from most apple pie recipes and why it’s better: I cook my apples before adding them to the pie. I hate crunchy apples in pie. My secret to the perfect apple filling? I cook the apples before adding them to the crust.
I peel, core, and slice my apples (using my handy dandy apple peeler, get one, it saves your sanity) then quarter the apple rings and boil them for just a few minutes in a pot with a bit of water. Once they bake in the pie they’re the perfect texture and not crunchy.
How to make Apple Crumb Pie
- Add the apples to a pot with a bit of water.
- Cook until they’re just starting to change in opaqueness and get a bit soft, about 5 minutes.
- Place your pie crust in a 9-inch pie plate and place on a cookie sheet.
- Fill with apples. Top with cinnamon sugar and crumble. Bake until golden brown.
Expert Tips
- Use a pie shield for the early part of baking so that the outer crust doesn’t get over done.
- Some ovens cook differently – if you notice the top getting too brown too fast, cover the entire pie loosely with foil.
- To avoid a soggy bottom crust: bake the pie at a high temperature for 10-15 minutes, then lower the oven temperature.
- I recommend baking in glass pie plates for best results – not porcelain. Unlike other baked goods, glass is better for pie, and you can see the bottom crust to tell if it’s done baking.
- Let the pie cool before slicing.
FAQ
When the top is browned and the crust is golden, the pie is done. It usually takes a good amount of time in the oven. I recommend using a pie crust shield to make sure your pie crust doesn’t get too brown (if you’re using a refrigerated crust this is more important – those cook faster than my all butter crust).
I highly recommend using Granny Smith Apples for this pie. The tart apples mixed with the sugary crumb topping are the perfect combination. Granny Smith apples are also a bit firmer and can withstand the cooking then baking process. Other apples (i.e. Gala, Fuji, Macintosh) are softer and will become mushy if you use them in this recipe.
I always bake the pie at 425°F for about 10 minutes then lower the temperature to 350° – this helps cook the bottom crust.
Apple Crumble Pie Recipe
Recipe Video
Ingredients
For the pie:
- 1 All Butter Pie Crust or you can use a refrigerated pie crust
- 3 pounds Granny Smith apples (5-7 depending on size)
- ¼ cup (50g) sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
For the crumb:
- ⅔ cup (133g) sugar
- 1 ½ cups (186g) flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 12 tablespoons (170g) unsalted butter slightly softened
Instructions
- Roll out your pie crust according to recipe or package directions and place in your 9″ pie plate. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- Peel and core the apples, then slice into thin slices. I like using my apple peeler for this step. Place one inch of water in the bottom of a large pot. Add apples and cook, stirring occasionally, approximately 3-5 minutes after water boils, or just until the apples start to turn the slightest bit opaque.
- While apples are cooking, add the crumb ingredients to a large bowl. Using a fork or pastry cutter, cut the ingredients together until they form coarse crumbs, about the size of a pea.
- Drain apples very well. Let them sit in the strainer for a few minutes to cool, then place them in pie crust. Sprinkle 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon over apples. Add your crumb mixture evenly on top. Place pie on a cookie sheet to avoid mess in the oven. Cover outer edge of crust with thin strips of foil or a pie crust shield.
- Bake at 425° for 10 minutes then lower the oven temperature to 350°F for 30-40 minutes. Remove pie crust shield during the last 15 minutes of baking to ensure that the crust browns.
- Pie may be made a day in advance. Refrigerate overnight. Serve with whipped cream or ice cream. Baked pie can be frozen up to a month.
Recipe Notes
- Use a pie shield for the early part of baking so that the outer crust doesn’t get over done.
- Some ovens cook differently – if you notice the top getting too brown too fast, cover the entire pie loosely with foil.
- To avoid a soggy bottom crust: bake the pie at a high temperature for 10-15 minutes, then lower the oven temperature.
- I recommend baking in glass pie plates for best results – not porcelain. Unlike other baked goods, glass is better for pie, and you can see the bottom crust to tell if it’s done baking.
- Let the pie cool before slicing.
Recipe Nutrition
See more of my ultimate pie recipes here!
I am so glad I ran across this recipe. Pre-cooking the apples! Why didn’t I think of that?! I never liked the crispness of apples in apple pies and now I think you’ve hit on the solution. Can’t wait to try it. Thank you so much.
I’m shopping for an apple peeler. Which of the dozen or so peelers on your link do you recommend?
Hi, I’ve tried your all butter crust and love it!
Would love to taste your crumb apple pie but I live in Portugal, no american cups here, just pure old metric sistem. Do you by any chance have the weights for the ingredients for the crumb apple pie? Thanks
Hi Dorothy. I loved your tutorial on pie crust and apple crumb pie is my favorite! Your story behind it and the start of your blog is so cute. Honestly all your apple crumb pie pics look delish to me. It sooo reminds of pie baking at holiday time with my Mama when I was growing up. We made all kinds of pie together. She was a gourmet cook. Didn’t matter the food or recipe it was delish! I miss all this & her every year starting in October to the point I could cry. She was so loved. So, your pie video pulled up a big black pic & I couldnt get it to play. Can you fix it please? I’ve already bookmarked the crumb pie recipe! THANKS for everything. I love crazyforcrust!
Pre cooking the apples makes this the best pie. I used Truvia baking blend and it turned out excellent. Whole family loved it. I will use this recipe from now on.
I would like to make this in a 9×13 pan – would this recipe work here?
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